According to @QCompounding, net income includes non-cash items while free cash flow reflects only actual cash movements, highlighting why traders should separate accounting profit from cash generation, source: @QCompounding. For trading decisions, FCF is the cleaner gauge of liquidity and capacity to fund operations, capex, and buybacks compared with net income, which can be distorted by non-cash charges, source: CFA Institute; @QCompounding. In crypto-linked equities such as exchanges and miners that face revenue volatility, monitoring FCF trends can better indicate resilience and runway than headline earnings, source: CFA Institute; @QCompounding.